Racking up 18 hits, the varsity girls topped host Martin Luther/Truman/Granada-Huntley-East Chain 21-11 on Monday.
It was a slugfest from the get go. With two outs in the first, Emily Kern (above) blasted a pitch over the Truman fence for her third home run of the year. Halle McCabe followed with a single and later stole home. Brianna Connor singled, and Cassandra Connor reached first on an error. Harley Connor’s single scored both of her cousins and put the Clippers up 4-0.
Battling the sun, the Jaguars errored twice to put Macey Ziebarth and Nicole McCabe on base to start the second. They both scored on a Kern double. On the base paths for Kern, Sophie Shouler scored on a Halle McCabe single, and the Clippers led 7-2.
In the third, Kaylee Karels reached first on an error and scored on a Grayce Kortuem double. Nicole McCabe reached first on an infield error that scored Kortuem and crossed the plate on a Kern sacrifice fly to put the Clippers in front 10-4.
After Brianna Connor singled to start the fourth and Karels walked, it was Kortuem’s turn for a homer, this one for three RBIs and a 13-6 Clipper advantage.
Nicole McCabe led off the fifth with a single. Continuing her reign of terror at the plate, Kern doubled for an RBI. Then came the Connor clan with Brianna decking an RBI triple, Cassandra swatting an RBI double and Harley bashing an RBI triple. Running for Harley Connor, Maddy Steen scored on an error, and the Clippers led 18-8.
The Clippers added three more runs in the sixth. Nicole McCabe hit a lead-off single. Kern doubled, and Halle McCabe got on board on an error. Brianna Connor hit a two-RBI double to put the Clippers up 21-10.
The Jaguars managed another run in the sixth, but it was one shy of what they needed to take the game into a seventh inning.
Hosting a batting clinic, Kern hit a homer, three doubles and a sacrifice fly. Grayce Kortuem had a three-run homer and a double. Harley Connor hit two singles and a triple. Brianna Connor had two singles and a double. Nicole McCabe and Halle McCabe each had two singles. Cassandra Connor had a double. Karels had a single.
Kern tossed two and a third innings. She struck out two, allowed two hits, walked five and beaned one. Sierra Davis took over after that. In four and two thirds innings, she surrendered eight hits and five walks while striking out four. The Clippers committed three errors, seven less than the Jags.
The Clippers are scheduled to travel to take on Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s in Sleepy Eye on Thursday. The Knights, 12-5, lost 3-0 to Nicollet a team the Clippers fell to twice, beat MCW 10-8, a team the Clippers easily beat, and lost twice to NUC, a team that beat the Clippers once.
Left fielder Nicole McCabe readies to field a grounder.
Shortstop Halle McCabe couldn’t quite reach the ball on this putout attempt at third.